On March 15, I was extremely upset that my state, Ohio, let me down and Hillary won the primaries. After Bernie's impressive victory in Michigan, I was hoping he could also come through in Ohio and continue his momentum. But this defeat in Ohio didn't keep me down for long; it only gave me more fuel to fight for him and see his success in the state primaries to come. In the race to the majority of 2,382 delegates needed to win, Hillary has reigned in 1,712 and Bernie 1,011. But there are still 22 states and territories up for grabs, and they are key states like New York and California. And even if Sander's campaign looks like it's on its last leg, his democratic socialist ideas are more than a campaign -- they're a political revolution.
#StillSanders was trending on Twitter to show that supporters are still #FeelinTheBern and that the fight for the democratic nomination is still ongoing. The mass media has portrayed it as if the race is over and Hillary Clinton is the clear winner. Fifty-seven percent of the delegates are still up for grabs. The fight is not yet won.
Other than the fact that we still have plenty of time to win this nomination at the Democratic National Convention on July 28, Bernie Sanders has said from the beginning that this campaign is about more than winning the White House; it is about a political revolution. It is a campaign driven by being anti-establishment and running on the money of individual donations, not of super-PAC billionaires. Sanders wants to get the money out of politics and bring democratic socialism to the United States. Capitalism and the current way our system is set up is what has created the inequality and great poverty and wealth we see in America. Socialism is not about the "free stuff." It is about supporting one another and making America as successful as our European counterparts.
I am not #StillSanders because of the promise of free stuff or the promise of free four-year college. In all actuality, I don't agree with this position. I don't think it is the right answer for the job market. If everyone has a four-year degree, then that lowers the value of my degree and, to get a good job, I'll have to go to graduate school or even get a doctorate.
I'm not anti-Hillary Clinton. If she does win the nomination I will vote blue, but I will carry Bernie Sanders' ideals and positions far beyond the election. I want to see more candidates in the future that identify as democratic socialists. We need more radical politicians, ones that aren't so close to billionaires and ones that want to use their power for the betterment of the country, not the few.
I'm #StillSanders because I want the effects of this campaign to last longer than a couple months or four years. I want Sanders to be an awakening to people. And Sanders may not be elected, but it takes one spark to start a fire.
